[MUD-Dev] narrative

[Brandon J. Van Every]

Ron Gabbard wrote:

> There are just no consequences in the games.  If you impose
> current game rules on LoTR and it would be one boring story...

Ok let's script doctor this.

>   ... no Boromir (one group member) attacking Frodo (another group
>   member) to steal the ring...

So clearly, make Boromir a NPC.

>   ... and ending up dead... permanently.

Turn our protagonist Frodo into a wraith.  As the juicy antagonist
of The Mummy wrote, "Death is only the beginning!"

>   ... no internal struggle for Frodo between destroying the ring
>   or protecting his "Precious".

Allow the Ring to create for Frodo a castle and great estate if used
improperly.  Ownership of Mordor is tempting.  Frodo becomes Sauron.
Then of course others want to knock off Sauron.

>   ... no subjugation of the Shire making life miserable for the
>   'noobs' there.

So clearly the Shire is mostly a pile of NPCs, with some PC
dwellings in there too.

>   ... no risk of the world being completely over-run by the hordes
>   from Mordor should the ringbearer fail.

The protagonist Frodo has the temptation to perform this very act.

>   ... no 'superfluous' words are used to build the imagery in the
>   reader's mind or convey a mood and just the [important words]
>   are written.

Get a better writer for your MUD.

Although I agree with your assessment of the market realities - the
milk toast factor, as you put it - the problems above are hardly
insoluable.  Most importantly, permadeath is not necessary.  You
simply have to make "Death" a very different role from "Life," with
different resources and powers available.  When people die, let them
risk becoming subjugated wraiths.  Or soul food for greater demons.
But... in giving up Life, hold out the chance that they can become
Masters of Death.


Cheers,                         www.3DProgrammer.com
Brandon Van Every               Seattle, WA

20% of the world is real.
80% is gobbledygook we make up inside our own heads.


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